Luka Doncic should take Magic Johnson's criticism personally

In the age of social media, everyone has a voice, and some opinions may feel diluted. However, when an all-time great speaks, it behooves those concerned to listen.

On Thursday, Magic Johnson publicly called out Luka Doncic for his inability to stay in shape in the latter stages of an NBA season. The Lakers legend further suggested that Doncic could get away with his poor physical conditioning in Dallas, but fans of the Purple & Gold, who expect championships every year, won't stand for it.

"Luka (has) gotta understand this is not Dallas," he said during an appearance on ESPN's "First Take." "...We shouldn't have to tell you to be in shape. You should have been about that, especially since you're a superstar."

Johnson cited past Lakers stars who hung banners for the franchise while suggesting that something's "missing" in Doncic that could prevent him from reaching the same heights. 

Doncic should take Johnson's comments to heart. It's one thing to be slandered and body-shamed by fans and analysts but a completely different animal when the criticism comes from a player of Johnson's ilk.

Perhaps Johnson's comments will serve as the wake-up call Doncic needs. The 26-year-old guard was widely lambasted for his horrendous defense in the Lakers' 4-1 series loss to the Timberwolves in the playoffs. Many felt his inability to stay in front of his matchups was the biggest reason for the Lakers' early postseason exit.

There's some credence to that argument. Doncic allowed Jaden McDaniels, his primary matchup, to shoot 62.5% from the field and was equally ineffective as a help-side defender. In the Lakers' season-ending Game 5 loss, he allowed an embarrassing nine blow-bys on 16 defended drives, compromising his team's ability to get any stops.

Doncic's woes on defense were directly related to his poor conditioning levels. After the series, Lakers head coach JJ Redick seemed to indirectly call out Doncic when he said some of his players "could have been in better shape" for a playoff run.

The 2025-26 season could prove to be critical for the Lakers' plan to build around Doncic as their new franchise star. If the Slovenian endures similar conditioning issues in next year's postseason, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison would feel more vindicated about trading him.